Earlier this year, long-time fans of Looney Tunes were hit with pretty good news. After Warner Bros. executives unceremoniously shelved the highly anticipated comedy movie Coyote vs. Acme, help came through Ketchup Entertainment. In a bold and unexpected move, the company acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the movie, meaning that we will get to see it in cinemas. Today at SDCC, the hype just became real as the company finally unveiled the movie’s brand-new release date, and even some behind-closed-doors footage. The adventure is set to premiere in just one year on August 28, 2026, and WB even shared a poster and some new images below.
Will Forte and John Cena Play Two Very Different Lawyers in ‘Coyote vs. Acme’
Sadly for those at home, the footage shown at SDCC was not shared online (at least not yet), but Collider‘s own Samantha Coley was in attendance to see what might be the best SDCC panel of 2025. The footage begins business as usual for Wile E. Coyote, with him repeatedly trying and failing to capture Road Runner all while Johnny Cash‘s legendary song “Hurt” plays in the background. Fed up with years of torture and abuse thanks to ACME’s false advertising, Coyote gets inspired when he sees an advertisement from a human lawyer (Will Forte). He now plans to sue Acme, even if Avery’s mispronunciation of his name leads the Coyote to blow up the lawyer’s office.
Later in the panel, SDCC was also treated to a full six-minute scene from the film, this time featuring John Cena‘s villainous Acme lawyer, Buddy Crane. It’s the first day in court, and both Coyote and Acme have to make their opening statements, with the judge even having both a regular mallet and a cartoon one. Where Buddy Crane is suave and professional, Wile E. Coyote and Kevin Avery are clearly out of their depth and have a horrible first day. However, Avery later receives an anonymous tip from the one and only Bugs Bunny (Eric Bauza), who suggests that Acme may be far more sinister than it appears and has an idea of how it can be stopped.
Finally, the Coyote vs. Acme panel concluded with the film’s first official trailer. It features even more stunning animation paired with live-action humor, even with John Cena becoming an instantly hateable villain for how he grabs Tweety Bird. Tweety isn’t the only character who drops by for a cameo, either, as both Granny and the Tasmanian Devil also drop by. The trailer ends how Looney Tunes fans would probably expect, with Coyote almost getting Road Runner, only to be foiled at the last second.
Cool, but What Is Ketchup Entertainment?
Aside from the wildly creative story — based on a New Yorker Magazine article from 1990 — Looney Tunes fans are also expecting to see some of their favorite characters populate the story. And they likely will. Back in 2024, director Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows) revealed on Twitter/X that fans probably won’t be disappointed by the slate of characters that they decided to include in Coyote vs. Acme. In fact, Green pretty much suggested that you will see every Looney Tunes character on the big screen. He wrote:
“Tons and tons of characters. Both in significant supporting roles, and in bit cameos. Name a character, and they’re likely in the movie.”
Company CEO Gareth West called the movie “a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling.” After all the fuss over the movie getting shelved despite its alleged quality, fans will flock to theaters with sky-high expectations. The cast also features Lana Condor (To All The Boys franchise), P.J. Byrne (A Complete Unknown), Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest), Martha Kelly (Euphoria), and the voice of Eric Bauza (Fairly OddParents: A New Wish). The live-action portion of the movie was filmed all the way back in 2022.
Despite not being one of the best-known distribution companies in the world, Ketchup Entertainment has been responsible for distributing some major titles, which includes 2024’s Hellboy: The Crooked Man, the dramedy Goodrich, which stars Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Mila Kunis (Luckiest Girl Alive), and Coyote vs. Acme‘s “sister” movie The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie.
Coyote vs. Acme premieres in theaters on August 28, 2026.
via Collider